Nathan Newman’s debut novel How to Leave the House is anything but typical.
Set over the course of a single day, the book spirals outward from the mind of its protagonist, Natwest, into the lives of a rich cast of townspeople. You meet a teacher, a dentist, a mother, an Imam. With wit, emotional depth and sharp observational humour, Newman explores how perspective shapes out understanding of ourselves and those around us.
How to Leave The House manages to be both intimate and expansive, funny and devastating. Nathan Newman’s approach to storytelling feels deeply reflective on how we move through the world today. It’s a debut that invites readers to step outside of themselves, if only for a day.
We sat down with Nathan to talk about How to Leave The House.
How To Leave The House weaves together multiple perspectives within a single day. What drew you to that structure?
Nathan Newman: I was desperate for the book not to feel like a typical debut. So many contemporary debuts feel quite closed off. Two or three characters falling in love by a river or something. I wanted this one to be expansive. At first, you think it’s going to be that kind of novel, but then suddenly you’re in an 80-year-old’s head, then the dentist, then the teacher. That explosion of perspective felt like a fun and interesting way to reflect NatWest’s issue: he can’t really imagine other people’s lives.
NatWest is such a distinctive character—self-important, anxious, pretentious. He’s the main character in his life. Was pulling away from his story and showing these other people in the town intentional to show that he isn’t the center of the universe?
That’s really his little arc. It’s hard to show a big, grand emotional change in one day, which is how long the novel is set in. But that’s broadly the kind of journey that he goes on. From someone who thinks he’s the main character, even though he logically knows that isn’t the case. That’s splintered by his interactions with the people in town, really.
The side characters are incredibly rich and distinctive. Why was that important to you?
That was the whole point, really. When you’re in someone else’s chapter, NatWest becomes a side character, a minor inconvenience. Sometimes he’s central, like with his mum. But other times, like with the Imam or Ruth, he’s just someone they pass on the street. It felt like a good way to demonstrate how we project ourselves into stories. We’re all the main characters in our heads. But here, the lens keeps shifting, and suddenly he’s not so important.
How did you balance the humour of the novel with some of its darker themes?
Newman: Honestly, I think our brains are already wired to accept tonal whiplash because of the internet. You scroll past a meme, then a horrible news story, then something really sweet, then something offensive. I wanted the novel to feel like that. So the jumps between humour and darkness felt natural. Of course, I paid attention to where jokes might undercut emotional moments, but broadly I just let it rip and trusted the tone.
NatWest is obsessed with that missing package. Why use that as a device to explore his sexuality and identity?
It just worked as a metaphor. He’s literally chasing his own dick around town. That package is his shame, his hidden sexuality, everything he’s trying to keep from his mum and others. I think it also felt true to life. Lots of us have that awkward memory of trying to hide something from our parents. And it was funny. The absurdity of it matched his panic.
The book often pokes fun at NatWest’s personality and is quite self-aware. Why go meta with it?
Because NatWest would definitely think he’s starring in an important, literary, debut novel. And I wanted to call that out. The book gently mocks him, even as it lets us sympathise with him. It made sense for the tone and for how I see those kinds of characters—lovable, flawed, overdramatic.
Were there any particular authors or books that inspired you while writing How To Leave The House?
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan was a big formal influence. Every chapter follows a different character, and that gave me permission to play with perspective. Zadie Smith’s early work really shaped the way I think about character. There’s this big, messy, interconnected energy to her stories that I love.
The setting feels so vivid. Did you see the town as a character in itself?
Totally. It’s unnamed, which I did on purpose. It could be any town. It has that universal small-town claustrophobia, where you bump into the same faces again and again. The town kind of holds the story together. Everyone’s moving around inside this little model town, crossing paths.
It feels like every character is either trying to change or wrestling with their past. Did you always see this as a story about transitions?
Yes, definitely. It’s about the moment before something happens. NatWest is about to leave for uni. Others are confronting secrets or past mistakes. It’s that weird tension where everyone is either trying to move on or resisting it.
Queerness is obviously central to the novel, but it’s treated in a very naturalistic way. Why did you take that approach?
That just felt true to life. I didn’t want it to be a big, dramatic reveal. NatWest himself is kind of trying to shrug off the importance of his sexuality, but it’s clearly a big part of him. He just doesn’t want to admit it. And across the novel, queerness exists alongside other sexualities. It’s just part of the town’s makeup.
How did you approach building NatWest’s relationship with his mother?
I think there’s something very specific, especially in gay life, about the intense closeness with a single mother. She’s raised him alone, and now he’s leaving. That’s her whole project walking out the door. He doesn’t see her fully, not at first. He finds out more about her background, but for a long time she’s just “mum” to him. Not a full person.
You’re also a filmmaker. How does that background influence your storytelling?
I love ensemble films like Magnolia, Love Actually, Nashville, where all these characters cross paths in unexpected ways. That structure has definitely shaped how I write. I actually got into fiction during lockdown because I couldn’t be on set. And now weirdly, the book has led me back to film: we’re adapting it for TV, which I’m writing.
That’s exciting! Can you share anything about what’s next?
I’m working on the TV adaptation right now, writing the scripts. I’m also finishing my second novel, hoping to get the first draft to my agent soon. And I’m developing a feature film with one of my co-writers. So, lots coming up.
The post Nathan Newman on their queer debut novel ‘How to Leave the House’ appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.